[E-Daily Reporter KIM SAE-MI ] AprilBio Co.,Ltd.(397030)is set to pursue technology exports at the preclinical stage next year, spearheaded by three new drug candidates: bispecific antibodies, short interfering RNA (siRNA), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). AprilBio Co.,Ltd. is also launching its “AprilBio 2.0” strategy in earnest, which combines in-house drug development with the acquisition of promising external technologies, backed by 430 billion won in cash liquidity.

On the 9th, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. held its first-ever “AprilBio Co.,Ltd. R&D Day” at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Seoul, and unveiled its new pipeline and mid- to long-term growth strategies.

Which three new drugs will the company aim to export early next year?

The new pipeline unveiled that day consists of three candidates: “APB-I-005,” a treatment for inflammatory bowel disease; “APB-O-001,” a treatment for dyslipidemia; and “APB-A-001,” a treatment for solid tumors. The company plans to pursue both research and development (R&D) and business development (BD) with the goal of bringing these candidate compounds to the table for technology transfer discussions next year, prior to submitting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.

APB-I-005 is a bispecific antibody that simultaneously inhibits the pro-inflammatory molecules TL1A and IL-23p19 using the company’s proprietary next-generation antibody platform, “REMAP.” It is currently in development to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, with the goal of submitting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the first quarter of 2028.

REMAP is a technology evolved from the existing “SAFA” platform and is characterized by its expanded scope of application, which includes not only bispecific antibodies but also antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs). Cha Sang-hoon, CEO of AprilBio Co.,Ltd., explained, “We determined that it was more important to seek new growth opportunities based on the new drug development capabilities we have accumulated over the years, rather than staking the company’s entire future on a single platform called SAFA.”

According to the company, several major global pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in APB-I-005. During the Q&A session, Ji Su-seon, Executive Director at AprilBio Co.,Ltd., revealed, “Several big pharma companies have shown interest,” adding, “There were many questions regarding multimer formation, immunogenicity issues, and the feasibility of developing a high-concentration subcutaneous (SC) formulation.”

Senior Manager Ji said, “We have received requests to finalize the high-concentration SC formulation through Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) and to confirm that there are no issues in monkey toxicity tests, so we are continuously sharing the results.” AprilBio Co.,Ltd. is preparing to manufacture clinical trial drugs in Wuxi, China, and plans to conduct preclinical toxicity tests and other studies next year.

APB-O-001 is a dual-target siRNA therapeutic currently under development in collaboration with the South Korean biotech company #Curigen. It is designed to simultaneously inhibit the PCSK9 and APOC3 genes, which are involved in cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. The animal test results currently disclosed are based on data secured by Curigen, and AprilBio Co.,Ltd. is conducting its own verification to confirm whether the efficacy can be replicated.

APB-A-001 is a dual-specific ADC that simultaneously targets c-Met on the surface of cancer cells and VEGF, which is involved in angiogenesis. CEO Cha stated, “This is a pipeline we are unveiling for the first time today, as the patent application was recently finalized,” adding, “We believe there is a strong possibility of technology transfer if we can demonstrate its anticancer efficacy through further experiments.” The company plans to decide on its commercialization strategy—either in-house clinical development or early-stage technology export—following further efficacy validation.

CEO Cha also revealed that, in addition to the three candidate compounds unveiled today, the company is researching a REMAP-based bispecific antibody for lupus treatment and a T-cell engager (TCE). The company is also conducting parallel research to expand REMAP into ADCs and antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs). CEO Cha predicted, “Next-generation ADCs will evolve by applying new payloads (drugs) or combining two payloads,” adding, “I believe REMAP has the potential to establish itself as a key drug delivery platform in the ADC and AOC fields in the future.”

Declaration of

“AprilBio Co.,Ltd. 2.0”… Diversification Through the Introduction of External New Drugs

CEO Cha also unveiled plans to overhaul

AprilBio

Co.,Ltd.’s overall business model. Whereas the company previously focused on developing candidate compounds discovered through its proprietary SAFA platform and licensing the technology to global pharmaceutical companies, it now intends to expand its business scope to include the acquisition of external new drug assets and joint development.

CEO Cha stated, “In addition to our existing in-house platform capabilities, we intend to actively acquire preclinical or clinical-stage drug candidates and innovative technologies from external sources to generate business results in the short term through various means, including in-house development, joint research, and the establishment of NewCos.” He added, “We also plan to pursue a medium- to long-term strategy in parallel, utilizing our proprietary platform to continuously develop numerous drug candidates and advancing some of them to Phase 2a clinical trials to maximize revenue from technology transfers.”

Previously, AprilBio Co.,Ltd. secured 346.8 billion won in investment from TKG Group and IMM Investment in June, with the capital injection completed in July. By combining this with its existing funds, the company secured approximately 430 billion won in cash liquidity, laying the financial foundation for expanding R&D and acquiring external technologies.

Since securing the investment, AprilBio Co.,Ltd.’s workforce has grown by 75 percent—from 28 to 49 employees—in just about three months. The company plans to continue expanding its R&D staff and simultaneously advance new drug development in the fields of autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and anticancer therapies, which were previously being pursued sequentially. The secured funds will be used not only for developing its own pipeline but also for acquiring promising external drug candidates and conducting joint research.

Major shareholders who made this large-scale investment are also stepping in to provide support. Yoo Sang-hee, a director at TKG Group, promised to guarantee the independence of research and development, stating, “I will delegate 100% of the authority for scientific decisions—including candidate compound identification and R&D direction—to CEO Cha Sang-hoon and the research team.” Moon Yeo-jeong, Executive Vice President of IMM Investment, also pledged to support business development by leveraging the firm’s network of global pharmaceutical companies and investors. However, Executive Vice President Moon added, “A blueprint must be proven by data, not just promises,” and stated, “We will work together from an investor’s perspective to ensure that the results of each stage of validation are transparently shared with the market and translate into corporate value.”